Best Laid Plans
by wooster182
Summary: Betty and Gio haven't seen each other in a long time. What will happen when they do? And what has become of their five-year plans? Follows "Jump," the S2 finale. BxG
1. Hot Flashes

"I thought our story was epic, you know? You and me. Spanning years and continents. Lives ruined, bloodshed, epic."

--Logan Echolls

Chapter 1

Claire Meade stood at the head of the long table of the conference room on the thirty-fourth floor of Meade Publications. "_Hot Flash_ is finally going strong, people. We need to prove to our competition and to our readers that we can stay fresh."

The Creative Director, a tall, handsome man in a perfectly tailored blue suit named Brant Malone, tapped his pen against the edge of the table softly. "Claire is right. We need to find every new thing. We need to talk to anyone we think might be a good story."

Claire chimed in, saying, "Exactly. We need to know what our women want and we need to tell them what they need."

Brant stood up. "This month's cover is 'Life after Divorce.' It's the year 2013. The divorce rate is one in every two couples," he said. Clapping his hands, he continued, "C'mon! I'm sure we can find new approaches to this topic."

Claire said, "Our next meeting is tomorrow. Get into your departments and come up with as many ideas as possible for in the morning."

Everyone in the room stood and they began chattering in clusters as they left the room. Brant smiled widely, his white teeth nearly shining. His hand slid down the lapel of his suit and his eyes locked in on the woman waiting in the corner of the room. "Shouldn't you be busy telling people what to do instead of waiting for me?"

She looked up at him with bright eyes. "I always wait for you after meetings." Putting her hand on his arm, she said, "Besides, I'm the head of the Food & Dining section. I think my staff will wait for me."

The tall man bent down and pecked her quickly on the lips. "I, for one, am always willing to wait on the likes of you."

She squeezed his hand. "Good, because I'm going to be late for our lunch date."

Frowning thoughtfully, he asked, "Did you have to reschedule a meeting?"

She rolled her eyes slightly. "One of my writers is having an issue with her new review. She wants to talk to me about it."

He smiled again, his dark complexion making his smile that much more appealing. "If anyone can fix her problem, it's you, Betty Suarez."

Betty let go of his hand and readjusted the notepad and pens in her hand. "We'll see, but you're a good boss for saying so."

Brant raised his eyebrows. "I was being a sweet boyfriend."

She grinned, her teeth perfectly straight and white. "Well, you're that, too." She kissed him on the cheek, saying, "See you at lunch." She left the conference room and headed for her office for her department meeting.

TBC


	2. Memories

Chapter 2

Betty adjourned her department meeting and watched her staff leave her office. One writer, Kat McKay, stayed behind, nervously flicking the pen in her hand back and forth between her fingers.

Betty smiled and sat behind her desk, making a motion with her hand for Kat to sit down as well. "What did you want to talk to me about, Kat?"

The twenty-six-year old looked down at her lap, long chestnut brown hair falling over her face. "I feel so silly coming in here to whine like a high school girl. I should be able to take care of this myself."

Betty shook her head, saying, "Don't worry about it. I've been in your position before. It can be difficult being a writer, especially since this is only your second year on the job. This is why I'm here."

Kat sighed. "I've just never had such a hard time with an interview before. I didn't know what to do."

Betty leaned in closer and asked, "Where did you go? I thought your assignment was the Pemberley Inn."

"No, it was, but I finished it early, so I thought I would prepare another review. You know, prove that I know the newest and best spots in New York."

Betty nodded, appreciating Kat's ambition although wishing she followed orders more closely. "What happened at this other review?"

Kat said, "I had talked to the owner of this restaurant. It's getting a lot of underground buzz right now, so I thought it would be great to give it some publicity."

"Okay," Betty said, urging her to continue.

"So, I went yesterday, just as we agreed upon," she said, her eyes dropping again to the desk as she recalled the information.

"What happened, Kat?" she asked, impatiently. She usually very much liked the young woman, but she was becoming more and more late for her lunch date with Brant and she was ready to leave.

Kat took a deep breath and went on. "Everything was fine at first. We were chatting and he was charming. And then we went over to the counter to order lunch. When I placed my order, he kicked me out of the restaurant!"

Betty's brow furrowed. "He just kicked you out?"

Kat waved her hand dramatically. "Out! He told me that if I didn't know how to order a sandwich that I had no business writing restaurant reviews and that he didn't want me reviewing his place at all."

Betty's eyes widened a little and she scoffed. "That was really rude. What's the name of this place?"

"I don't know," Kat said, shrugging. "Something lame, like Hero Worship."

Betty blinked silently for a few moments. "What did you say?"

Kat looked at her strangely. "It's a sandwich shop. It's called Hero Worship. How gimmicky is that?"

"Who owns the restaurant?" Betty asked, ignoring the sweat that was starting to build on her palms.

Kat checked her notes and said, "He's a short guy. Italian. His name is Giovanni Rossi."

"I'll handle this," Betty said quietly.

"What?"

Betty's eyes bore into Kat's. "I said I'll take care of it. From now on, only do the jobs assigned to you."

Kat flinched but stood up. "Okay, I'm sorry for causing trouble."

The sound of Kat's anxious voice woke Betty from her stewing. Shaking her head slightly, she said more calmly, "It's all right, Kat. Everything will work out. I'm glad to see that you've taken initiative."

Kat smiled. "Thank you for the help," she said, leaving the office once Betty smiled and nodded at her.

As soon as the door shut, Betty's fake smile faded. All she could think of was the last time she had ever spoken to Gio five years ago.

_They were sitting in Gio's van half an hour after the game. He put his hand on her head, asking, "Betty, are you okay? You hit the ground pretty hard today."_

_She looked down at her hands in her lap. She had never realized how comforting and yet startling his touch could be. "I'm fine. Thanks." Looking up at him, she said, "But I figured out what I need to do."_

_He swallowed and said quietly, "Okay. What is it?"_

_She looked away again out past the windshield. "I'm going to tell Henry to go back to Tucson. Alone." She could feel his smile and it made what was coming even more difficult to say. "But I'm telling you to go to Italy alone, too."_

_He pulled his hand away from her but said positively, "That's okay. You need time. I understand that. We can start up again when I get home."_

_Shutting her eyes, she shook her head. "No, we can't."_

_His voice was still but could have cut glass. "What?"_

"_Gio, I've let myself get so caught up in my own love life that I haven't allowed myself to grow up. I've ignored my family and friends." She didn't want to, but she looked him in the eye. "It's time for me to grow up. I'm moving out and I'm starting over."_

_His brows knitted together and the muscles in his jaws tensed. "A big part of growing up is going after what you want. Do you really want to let go of what we have?"_

_She threw her hands up in front of her, saying, "It's all too much. You and me…and Henry, it's too much pressure."_

_A tear threatened to escape the corner of his eye. "You're running away."_

_Firmly, she said, "I'm moving on."_

_Taking his baseball cap off, he said, "No, _I'll _be able to move on because I gave us a real shot. I tried. It's not going to be that easy for you."_

"_Gio—"_

_He waved her to stop with his hand. "Don't. I really don't need to hear that you want to stay friends right now."_

_His words cut at her heart. She wanted to take his hands and cry that she did want to stay his friend, but she knew that it wasn't the right time. Opening the van door, she said, "I'm getting a ride with Daniel."_

_As she started to get out, he said, "I do want to be your friend, Betty. I'll give you a call when I get back from Rome."_

_She wiped a tear from her eye and smiled sadly. "I'd like that." She shut the door and went looking for Daniel. She turned around to watch Gio put the van in gear and drive away._

It was the last time she ever saw him. He had never called her when he returned from Rome. In fact, she never really knew when he had returned. About three months after the baseball game, Gio's Deli had been put up for sale and she never saw or heard from him again.

But now he had reappeared as if out of thin air. She looked down at the advertisement Kat had given her: Hero Worship: Gio's Sandwich Depot.

She was flattered that he had remembered her suggestion for restaurant names all those years ago, but also perplexed. She hadn't spoken to him in five years and he actually named his place after her. _No_, she reassured herself, _not after me. Not for me. Not because of me. He just liked the name. _

Still, she wondered what it all meant. He was the same old Gio. Rude, prideful, arrogant. Some things never change. He still had the audacity to kick someone like Kat out of his restaurant. And now she had to go fix it. No, that wasn't exactly true either. Had it been anyone else, she would have told Kat to fix it herself or to give the restaurant a scathing review for poor service. She would never have made a promise to go handle it herself.

Was it that she only wanted to see Giovanni Rossi again?

She took a deep breath and shook her head. No. _No. _He wasn't even a friend. He had never been an old flame. He was a passing person in her history. That was all. She had no desire to reconnect with Gio again.

Looking down at her watch, she saw that she was beyond late for her lunch date with Brant. Grabbing her purse, she practically ran to the elevators and through the lobby. She hailed the first cab she could find and hurried to the restaurant. She saw his perfect smile beaming towards her as he stood up and kissed her on the cheek. "You're here," he said. "I was starting to get a little worried."

She sighed, out of breath. "I'm sorry, Brant," she said, putting her hand on his. "Kat's problem is a little more complex than I had realized."

He raised an eyebrow as he took a drink from his glass. "Oh? Is everything okay?"

She smiled. "Yes, she just got into a tussle with a tough interviewee. I told her that I would do the interview myself."

He frowned, crinkling his tanned and smooth skin. "That doesn't sound like you, Betty. Is this interviewee special?"

She nearly choked on the sip of water she had just taken. "No, no. No. He's just going to need some finessing." Her eyes got wide by her choice of words. "I mean handling him will need to be finessed." Wider eyes. "I mean, he can be hard." _Damn_. Shutting her eyes completely, she said, "Yes, I know him."

Brant chuckled at her. She rarely ever got this flustered. He decided it was best not to ask and let her deal with the issue. Picking up a menu, he skimmed the lunch options. "Whatever it is, Betty, I'm sure you'll work it out."

She let out a breath and picked up her own menu. "Yes, it will all work out."

They spent the rest of the meal talking about his duties as Creative Director and the next layout for the magazine. They made plans to meet for dinner that night and then they left each other, getting in separate taxis.

She took the advertisement from her purse and told her cab driver the address for Hero Worship. "Great place," the driver grunted. "They've got the biggest condiment bar you'll ever see!"

"So I've been told," Betty muttered. When the cabdriver deposited her in front of the building, she paid him, then stood looking at the door for several minutes. She stared at a very familiar pickle drawing, but now it had a companion: a little sandwich flexing its muscles. She had never been more nervous about cartoon food in her life.

Taking a deep breath, she entered the largest sandwich shop she had ever seen, complete with 300 chairs.

Her eyes scanned the room quickly. She knew him as soon as she saw him.

TBC


	3. Meeting Again

I promised a speedy update and here it is. I fear it loses its focus at the end, but we are going in a direction. I promise! Enjoy and live Gettily!

Chapter 3

Betty stood in the middle of the restaurant, watching the man she had left five years ago. He was no longer in jeans as she had always envisioned him in her memories, but was instead wearing charcoal grey slacks and a deep blue button down shirt tucked beneath his waistband. His black boots were thick and designer. He still wore the black necklace around his neck and the silver bracelet around his wrist. His hair was cut short and was sleek and styled to a point that accentuated the shape of his nose and the curve of his jaw line. What surprised her most was the dust of facial hair, a small mustache and beard with a faint five o'clock shadow running down his jaw up to his ear.

She realized that he must be about 31 now and the years had only molded him into a more handsome and rugged man. And yet with all of his ruggedness, there seemed to be an air of sophistication that had not been there when she knew him. If the writer in her summed up what she saw in him in these brief few moments, it would have been this: the pure embodiment of the New York man, polished and bred from the streets, the vibrant music and color and food—he was a vein of the living city.

Then he looked at her.

She noticed that he had to focus his eyes on her a few moments before he realized who was staring at him so intently. She started to smile until she watched the features she had just admired harden coolly as he looked back at her. Her smile faded. She reminded herself why she was there and took a deep breath, squaring her shoulders.

He walked up to her then, leaving an employee behind by the long condiment bar. He smiled and said, "Is that Betty Suarez walking through my deli door again?"

But she could hear it in his voice and see it on his face. The greeting was wooden and fake. Irritated by his demeanor, she decided to mimic the sentiment, saying, "This is much more than a deli, Gio Rossi. You've outdone yourself." She held out her hand, making it perfectly clear by her body language that she was there for business only.

He glanced down at her hand with apparent bemusement before he took it in his own and shook it. Then shrugging, he said, "I only did what I set out to do. Nothing less."

She raised her eyebrows, saying, "But certainly more."

His smile seemed a little more genuine as he said, "Thank you."

The chip in his armor caught her off guard and she found herself raising her own by saying, "Hero Worship. Catchy title, too."

He made no signs of recognizing the reference to their past, but his smile returned to being feigned as he said again more stiffly, "Thank you." He took the opportunity of the brief pause in their conversation to look her up and down. She wasn't the girl from the neighborhood he met five years ago. Her braces were off and her teeth were straight and pearly white. Her hair looked soft and was put up in a light, fashionable bun. She wore light makeup that made her face look fresh and bright. But it was her clothing that startled him the most. It was a solid navy blue skirt and matching jacket. She was wearing a light, silky pink shirt beneath it. Instead of her pearl necklace, she was wearing a delicate gold cross. Her feet were poured into tall blue heels and she looked to be wearing sheer nylons. She was clearly no longer an assistant. He wasn't even sure if she were still Betty Suarez. Cocking his eyebrow, he took himself out of his reverie, asking, "Judging from that designer outfit you're wearing, I doubt you're applying for a job. Does that mean you're here to get a sandwich?"

She would have asked for a chicken salad on a croissant to go had he not sounded so condescending and the looks he was giving her was making her doubly uncomfortable. Shifting her weight from one heel to the other, she lifted her chin just a little higher, saying, "I'm the department head of the Food & Dining section of the magazine _Hot Flash_."

He nodded in recognition of the magazine. "My mother has a subscription. She says it's worth the read."

Ignoring the comment, she continued. "You threw out one of my writers, Gio. Kat McKay."

He pointed wisely. "The woman doesn't know how to order a simple Reuben. Don't you give your people a test before they write for you?"

Feeling her patience slipping as well as her confidence, she looked him in the eye more firmly and said, "If I remember correctly, you were never one to be open-minded about food."

His eyes flashed quickly before he became still and quiet, saying, "As opposed to when you were never open-minded about…anything?"

Her voice rose slightly, causing customers to stare as she said, "I'm not here to talk about old times."

He leaned in closer, his voice matching hers. "No one asked you to come." He flinched at his own words and noticed the gawkers they were obtaining. He took her by the elbow and guided her towards his office in the back of the building. "Look, I'm sorry I threw out your writer, but why are you here?"

She found the chair by his desk reserved for guests and sat down. He sat down at his leather chair behind the desk. She took another deep breath and said, "I'm here to set up an appointment. I want to write the review for her."

He let out a soft laugh. "What?"

Strictly business again, she looked into his eyes with the voice and demeanor she had learned over the past few years. "You've got a good restaurant here, Gio. You deserve to get noticed. Let me just write the review." She began getting her address book out of her purse in order to set up the date.

"No."

Her head whipped back up, her face crinkling with confusion. "Excuse me?"

"I don't know how you handle your employees," he said, his elbows on the desk, his hands out in front of him, "but I teach mine to handle their own mistakes."

She scoffed. "And what mistake did Kat make?"

He looked at her openly and honestly. "She didn't know how to handle _me_."

Her eyes darted down as she shook her head. "If I recall, Gio, you're not that easy to—"

"We've already made it clear that it's not best to go down memory lane," he said, cutting her off.

She nodded, conceding. "Okay, but what are you proposing here?"

He leaned back in his chair, saying, "Kat comes back in here and writes the review herself."

Mulling it over suspiciously, she looked down at the chocolate brown carpet on the floor. "Do you promise to actually let her review the restaurant?"

He smiled softly, glancing down at his desk embarrassedly. "I'll be a little more inviting this time."

"Good." She gave one swift shake of the head and stood up. Sticking her hand out again, she said, "I'm sure Kat will call soon to schedule another appointment. Thank you, Gio."

He shook her hand without reservation this time. "Thank you for the exposure, Betty. I do appreciate it."

She smiled her most professional smile and left the office and then the building. As soon as she was on the street, she took out her cell phone as she tried to hail a cab. When Kat answered over the other line, she said, "You're back in, Kat. You get to write the interview."

"What?" the writer asked in what sounded like an excited but nervous tone.

Betty got in a stopped taxi while saying, "I just finished talking to Rossi. He personally requested that you complete the review."

The woman practically squealed. "That's great! Thank you!"

"One thing, though," Betty said before telling the driver her desired address.

"What's that?"

Betty said, "I don't want you to write a review anymore."

Kat's voice cracked. "You don't?"

She shook her head. "No, I want you to write an article. Tell me about his business, his life, anything that might be interesting. To our readers I mean."

Kat sounded confused as she said, "Okay, I'll try to spin that to him appealingly."

Betty said more forcefully, "Don't _try_, Kat. _Do_. There's a potential story behind this guy and I want to know it."

Kat's smile was almost evident through her tone as she said, "That sounds great! He seemed so interesting. I'm sure I can find a story."

But Betty never heard her. She had already hung up the phone. She was too busy replaying the last twenty minutes in her mind. She tried to convince herself that she wanted Kat to write the article solely for the sake of a good story. Here's a guy from Queens that had to steal his neighbor's cable who worked himself up to owning the largest sandwich shop in New England. Readers would eat that story up, especially _Hot Flash's _readers. The older female audience would be suckers for a handsome guy like Gio, a success story such as his. There was nothing to gain from this but complete profit. Editorially speaking, it was a sound choice to make.

She tried to tell herself that she wasn't interested in the man at all. She didn't want to know what he had been up to in the last five years. She didn't need to know. Their past was the past, and they didn't even have that much history to begin with. She had her career. She had Brant.

Brant. A pang of guilt involuntarily fluttered through her stomach. She chided herself for the emotion; there was no reason to feel guilty. She hadn't lied to him, not really. She just hadn't told him her complete history with Gio—which she had already confessed wasn't much. There was no reason for her to divulge all of that information. But there was no reason _not _to divulge it either, she realized, deciding it was probably best to tell him before the article was published.

Her mind drifted back to the future article. What would it say? Was he married? She hadn't seen a band on his finger, but that didn't necessarily mean anything. And he could very well be engaged. He was most likely at least dating someone. She wondered what the woman looked like. Had he finally become attracted to MODE Girls? She doubted it, but the idea haunted her.

Less immediate questions began to taunt her thoughts, questions that had been brewing for years. She wondered when he had come back from Italy. Had he met someone there? Had he gotten over her so quickly? She hated to confess that it had taken her longer than a month to get over him. She wondered why he had sold the deli, had never called her as he had promised.

More philosophically, she wondered why, after building up her career, after dating Brant for four months, she had to run into him now. Was it fate? Was it life's way of annoying her? No, she decided firmly as the cab stopped in front of the Meade building. It was a coincidence that would end up benefit her section of the magazine. Her seeing Gio again was nothing more than a happenstance turned business arrangement, and she planned to use it to her advantage.

But as she took the elevator to her office, her shoulders sagged. She felt exhausted.

…………………………………..

Gio should have been back on the floor already, observing employing and checking on customers. Instead, he was still sitting in his office, thinking about one person.

He hadn't lied when he had told her that his mother subscribed to _Hot Flash_. She was an avid monthly reader and adored Claire Meade. She would never admit it to anyone, but she clipped out recipes from Betty's section of the magazine and cooked the dishes. Gio had chuckled when he had found the clippings crumpled in the trashcan—his mother's failed attempt to hide them out of pride and vanity. He had to admit, he had his mother's ego in the kitchen.

She had read the magazine for so long that Gio already knew that Betty was the head of the food section before Kat McKay had ever stepped into his shop. And Betty was not the reason he had kicked her out. He had actually been surprised when she came. As close as the magazine connection was, he never had expected to see her again—as he was sure she felt the same. He had asked Kat that first day if she had been sent by her boss and she had told him that Betty had no idea she was there.

He smiled at the thought. He liked that about Kat. She showed spunk and initiative. She seemed to have a great drive to write. She just had no clue about sandwiches. He remembered another woman from his life that had been like that too.

Betty had been so damn stubborn today. He realized that he had been as well, but what agitated him was he felt like he had a reason to be so.

Five years ago, Betty backed out. Betty ran. She had been a coward and a compromiser and he couldn't abide it. From the looks of her today, she seemed to have more spine, which impressed him.

But it didn't matter anymore. Betty Suarez was a love from the past that was better off buried. It didn't matter if she was single, dating, or had fifteen babies—he wasn't getting involved again. He couldn't.

And he wouldn't have to. As soon as this review was over, they would be over again, too. All he had to do was muster enough cordiality to Kat to feed her a sandwich and send both women on their way.

He still had plans and goals. He was not going to let anything distract him from that. Or anyone.

TBC


	4. Bad News and Interviews

I want to thank everyone who has read and reviewed. This story is a challenge for me, so it is very much appreciated. This chapter goes out to Snow who graciously has promised to remind me to watch my television programming and to Angel who would have if she were going to be here. :)

Also, I apologize for the brevity of this chapter, but it just seemed to work best this way. Enjoy!

Chapter 4

Kat McKay took a deep breath and walked into the restaurant, recorder and pad of paper in hand. Her hair was pulled back and bounced behind her as she walked towards the back of the building to the office where she had first met Gio Rossi. She knocked on the door.

Behind it came a hearty, deep, "Come in."

She opened the door and found Gio standing by the window, leaning against the pane, reading from a stack of papers. He looked up and smiled at her. She smiled back as she stood in the doorway in blue slacks and a fitted, white button-down shirt. "Good morning, Mr. Rossi."

He went over to his desk and tossed down the papers, saying, "Please, I've thrown you out of my place. I think it's fair for you to call me Gio."

"Okay," she said, laughing softly, stepping further into the office. "Please call me, Kat, then, too."

He nodded and said almost under his breath, "Yeah."

She caught herself staring at him, his maroon shirt and the way he had his hands in his pockets, the appealing shine and texture of his hair, the roughness of his mustache and beard. Her eyes darted away from him. "Thank you for letting me return, Gio. I wasn't sure you would."

He waved his hand as if to urge her to forget it. "I should be apologizing to you. I was rude. I'm sorry. And I'm glad that _you _returned." His eyes crinkled in admiration. "Not too many women would have after what I did."

Her cheeks warmed at the compliment and she smiled. "I'm not most women."

"I've noticed that," he said, staring at her in acknowledgment.

Loose strands of hair fell over her forehead as she looked down for a few moments, saying, "I need to run something by you though."

"What is it?" he asked, folding his arms in front of his chest. He came eye to eye with her, him being a few inches taller than she.

She kept staring at the corner of his mouth, the expression in his eyes. It was arrogant yet inquisitive; she had never seen a man quite like this. Noticing herself getting distracted again, she cleared her throat. "I've been assigned to write an article instead of a review." Becoming more excited, she said confidently, "I mean, I'll review your restaurant of course, but we want to give our readers a first hand look in one of NYC's newest restaurateurs—how you made it, who you are, what your next goals are. How does that sound?"

"Assigned," he repeated, his eyes hazing over coldly. "To write an expose."

Her body tensed. "I don't write for a tabloid, Gio. Ms. Suarez thought it would make for a great story and so do I."

His eyebrows rose. "Betty. So she _was _the one to ask you to write about me instead of my restaurant."

"It was her idea," she said, shaking her head, "but you are mistaking my intent."

He looked at her more warmly, taking his hands down to his sides. He knew it wasn't her fault. "No, I'm not mistaking you, but I'm not mistaking Betty either."

"I don't understand."

He walked over to the door and opened it. "Kat, I'm sorry, but I'm about to throw you out of my building again."

"What?" she cried.

"Your boss is using you as an errand girl. She doesn't want to inform your readers. She wants to inform herself."

She took two quick strides over to him and put her hand on his upper arm. "I don't know what's going on, but this is going to be the biggest article I've written. It has the most potential helping my career and you must know that it's going to help your own."

He sighed. "I do."

"So, whatever it is, please put it behind you. For both of us."

He saw the slight pleading in her eyes and felt her fingers lightly squeezing his arm. Guilt swept through him and he gritted his teeth. He knew what Betty wanted and he didn't want to give it to her, but he could use the publicity and he didn't want to screw over the woman in front of him. Sighing again, he said, "Okay. What do you want to know?"

A smile spread across her face and her muscles were relieved of tension. "Why don't we get a sandwich first?"

He returned her smile. "Sounds good."

She walked through the door into the hallway, turned, and glanced back at him. "Maybe you should order a sandwich for me this time."

He shut and locked the door behind him and guided her down the hallway, saying, "C'mon. All you need is a little bit of schooling."

She nodded. "Maybe next time. Right now, I want to interview you before anything else happens."

He laughed softly. "Fair enough."

…………………………………….

A few days later, Betty woke up in her boyfriend's Manhattan suite. She turned to look at him, brushing his dark hair from his face.

He stirred, his eyes fluttering. "What are you up to?"

She smiled. "Nothing you'd be interested in. I didn't mean to wake you up."

He closed his eyes again and yawned. "Are you going to really get up and start work? It's Saturday."

"You know you love my work ethic," she said, kissing his nose. "Go back to sleep." She watched as he quickly fell back into slumber. She was envious of that talent. It could take her hours to fall asleep sometimes and the past several days were a testament to that.

She tried to blame her insomnia on stress and an abundance of caffeine. She had convinced herself that it had nothing to do with running into Gio again. But as she slipped on her fuzzy robe and went into the kitchen to make coffee, her mind focused on what could be waiting for her in her inbox. As soon as she could, she took her cup of coffee and sat at Brant's desk, her laptop in front of her. Her heart skipped when she found an email from Kat.

It was a rough draft of the article on Gio. She tried to force herself to scan it, but she couldn't. Her eyes devoured each word, each phrase and paragraph and quote. Until she read one sentence. It would be a mundane piece of information to any other reader, but it was shattering to her. Anger and outrage flooded through each pour. Her insides felt as though they were burning and she couldn't sit still. She rushed to take a shower and she was out the door in twenty minutes.

She stormed into Hero Worship. It was early, so there were few customers. An employee told her that he was in the storage room and showed her the way. Betty found him alone taking inventory. The room was darker than the front room. Stacked boxes made the large room feel claustrophobic. It was quiet. The only sound in the room was Gio's singing to himself.

The happy tune made Betty even angrier. He turned around and saw her stewing at the door, her body quaking. "Betty?"

She stomped towards him, her hands in fists. "You son of a bitch," she said through her clenched jaw.

He scoffed. "Now those are words I never expected to hear from Miss Suarez. You're all grown up." He looked her up and down. "Or you think you are."

She squinted at him. "Why didn't you tell me? Why did you lie to me?"

Acting disinterested, he began looking through boxes again. "About what?"

She shouted at him, "About your seven year old daughter!"

He stopped and looked at her. All smugness and wit was gone. "If I thought Giovanna was any of your business, I would have told you."

His words cut her. She was not hurt by what it meant now, but what it had meant five years ago. She thought that she had meant more to him at one time. All the regret and pain she had once felt for leaving him made her feel like a fool now. Overwhelmed by humiliation, anger, hurt, and jealousy, she swung back her arm in anticipation of slapping him.

He caught her wrist, pulling her close from the momentum. "I let you hit me once, Betty, many years ago." His breath was hot against her face and his eyes bore through her. "I'm not as giving this time around."

She jerked away from him, her hair flying behind her. "As soon as this article is published, you and I are done."

His voice was quiet and soft when he looked at her and said, "I thought we already were."

He watched her leave his deli for the second time that week. He stood in silence after she was gone, breathing in and out, taking in the stillness of the room. Then he turned back and began his work again.

TBC


	5. Fights and Apologies

Chapter 5

Justin bounded down the stairs and into his mother's salon, which had become successful in the neighborhood in the last few years. "Mom, has the mail come yet?"

Hilda jumped at her son's loud voice belting into the room. "Ay, Justin! I could have cut Mrs. Garcia's ear off!"

Mrs. Garcia batted her eyes nervously. "Cuidado, mija!"

Hilda patted the woman's shoulder. "Lo siento, dona."

Justin, loosing patience, said, "Mom, the mail?"

She glanced over at her nearly 18 year old son. "Sweetheart, you've applied to every design school in New York. You're going to get in one of them."

He shifted his weight nervously. "But I won't know until I get the letter!"

"You'll get it, mijo. I promise. Now go do the homework for the school you're still in! You have to graduate high school, remember?"

Rolling his eyes, he said, "I'm going to Tina's house to study. Later!"

Hilda finished Mrs. Garcia's hair. She was her last appointment of the day and she had agreed to meet Betty in the city for lunch. She changed her clothes, which were still tight and suggestive, but much more appropriate for her age. Sighing, she looked at her body in the mirror. She was almost forty, still single, and still living in her father's house. And her son would be going to college in less than a year.

As successful as she was, she sometimes felt like crying. But as she reapplied mascara and lipstick she decided that today was not one of those days. When she had talked to Betty on the phone that morning, she had heard her sister's desperation through the other line. Today, Betty needed her more than she needed to think about her own problems.

Grabbing her jacket, she headed out the door and towards the subway.

…………………………

Half an hour later, the sisters were sitting at an offbeat restaurant having lunch. "He just made me so angry," Betty said, relaying what had happened a few hours ago.

Hilda took a bite from a French fry. "He always could before."

"No," Betty said, shaking her head. "Not like this. I just keep thinking about all of the things he told me five years ago. He mustn't have believed any of it."

Hilda waved her fry around, saying, "Why? Because he had a kid? Betty, there could be a good reason why he didn't tell you."

"Like what?" Betty asked, curls wrapping around her neck and cheek as she stared into her plate of food. "He told me that had I been important enough, he would have told me."

Hilda shrugged. "I'd come closer to thinking that he's lying now instead of back then."

Betty's face scrunched. "Why?"

"I remember the way he looked at you back then," Hilda said. "He loved you, Betty. I don't buy that he wouldn't have told you that he had a two year old daughter."

"What are you saying?"

Hilda took a sip of her drink and then said, "Either he didn't know about the girl until after you broke up or he's lying now."

"Lying?" Betty laughed mirthlessly. "Do you really think he'd make up a fake daughter just to spite me?"

Hilda looked her sister in the eye. "I do, Betty. You and I both know you hurt him really bad. And now you come back asking for a favor from him? I think he's trying to screw with you."

"Maybe," she muttered, her mind spinning as quickly as she could put information together. The thought made her feel relieved.

Hilda cocked an eyebrow, saying, "But why do you care if he lied to you? You don't even know him anymore."

Betty's mouth fell open but words did not come out at first. She couldn't explain why she cared. But she did. "I have to work with him," she said, trying to come up with a reason. "Sort of. And he's trying everything he can do to make it unbearable."

"Is he? Or are you _letting_ him make things difficult?"

She eyed her sister, irritated. "You're not supposed to be wise right now. You're supposed to be feeding my anger."

Hilda gave her the eye right back. "I'm sorry, but I've seen you do this before. With Gio even."

Betty crinkled her nose. "What are you talking about?"

Matter-of-factly, Hilda looked down at her hamburger as she said, "You have a history of being with a great guy and when it gets too serious, you start getting fascinated with another one."

Betty sat up straight, her jaw completely dropping this time. "I do not!"

"No? Let's see. You left Walter for Henry. Henry for Gio. You rebounded from Gio to Jesse and dumped Jesse for that newspaper guy Tim. And didn't you leave somebody else for Brant?"

Betty said tersely, "If you have a point, it would be great that you got to it soon."

Hilda leaned towards her. "Brant is a great guy. The most successful you've ever dated. And one of the nicest. Just don't ruin what you've got by going crazy over a crush you had five years ago."

Betty frowned. "I'm not." Her sister stared at her harder. "I'm not!" she said more forcefully. "I'm just upset because I feel like I got played."

"Just be careful, Betty."

Betty let out a breath. "Okay."

The sisters finished their lunch discussing Papi's new girlfriend and Justin's options for college.

……………………………

Betty spent the rest of the day mulling over what Hilda had said. After dinner, she was sitting on the couch, lying against Brant as they both read over reviews and articles for next week. She felt Brant's warm, strong arm fall over her shoulder. She liked how comforting it was. She didn't want to do any wrong by him. "Brant?"

Brant was looking through his glasses at the work in hand. "Hmm?"

She swallowed. "Can I talk to you about something?"

He readjusted his glasses to see her better. "Sure. Is everything okay?"

She looked down at her hands, putting her folders and papers on the coffee table in front of her. She scooted on the couch to look at him. "I just need to tell you the truth."

"Was that supposed to sound as ominous as it did?"

"No," she said, letting out a quiet laugh. "It's not really that bad."

He put his hand on her back. "Then what is it?"

Wringing her hands, she said, "The man I told you about, the one I said I knew, the one having problems with Kat?" He nodded. "I more than knew him. I kind of dated him."

"Kind of?"

She closed her eyes. It was difficult to explain. "We were in an exploratory phase when things ended. We were more than friends but we never actually started dating."

"Why are you telling me all this?"

She said, "When I talked to him a few days ago, we had both agreed not to let our past affect us. But it keeps creeping up. I found out through Kat's interview that he has a seven year old child."

"Is it yours?" he asked in feigned shock.

She laughed and hit him in the ribs. "Don't joke."

He took her hand from his stomach, saying, "Betty, I'm sorry, but I don't understand the importance of his having a daughter. Or his importance at all."

She winced at what sounded like his jealousy. "I knew him five years ago. He never told me about a daughter."

"And?"

She was beginning to get irritated that no one understood why she was upset. "I felt betrayed. I made the mistake of confronting him this morning and he only made it worse. He was so rude to me."

He took off his glasses and set aside his work on the table next to her own. "Then it's probably best that you stay away from him, Betty. Let Kat handle him."

She looked into his eyes now as she said, "I would, but Hilda thinks that maybe he's lying about the child just to provoke me."

"Why would he do that?"

"Because I hurt him. Badly," she said, brushing her hand through her hand.

"Do you think he'd be that vindictive?"

She shook her head. "No. Maybe. I don't know him anymore."

"You sound better off not knowing him at all."

She chewed her bottom lip in thought. "I probably am. But what if he's lying? That means that the article is false. I have to know for sure whether he's telling the truth."

He waved his hand as if the matter was resolved. "Then let Kat deal with it. It's her story."

She looked at him, her eyes knowing and honest. "_I _need to know for sure whether he's telling the truth."

His voice got still as he said, "Betty, do you still have feelings for him?"

"No," she said, putting her hands on his thigh. "It's not that. He meant something to me five years ago. And I want to know if those memories are lies."

He thought about it for a few moments, then said, "Then you should find out for yourself."

"Really?"

He nodded. "It's better to know now than dwell on it later. You'll know for sure this way."

"Thank you for being so understanding," she said, hugging him.

He kissed the top of her head. "Thank you for letting me in."

They laid in that position on the couch for half an hour before they began to work again.

………………………………….

The next day, Betty procured Gio's phone number through a phone call to Kat. It took her three hours before she was able to pick up the phone and call him. She waited what felt like an eternity for someone to answer.

"Hello?" A small voice responded.

Betty was startled by the feminine voice, but said, "Is Gio Rossi there?"

"Hold on," the voice said. Then Betty heard her shout in the background, "Dad! Phone!"

Betty's heart clenched. Had she really just spoken to her?

Then she heard Gio's voice say, "Hold on, Giovanna. I'm coming!"

The girl whined, "Dad, hurry up! You promised to take me to the baseball game today!"

He laughed. "I will; I will. Let me just answer the phone first, honey." Into the phone, he said, "Hello?"

Her hope that he had lied had vanished. Words were caught in her throat and she felt the instinct to hang up the phone. Just before she took the phone from her ear, she heard him say hello again.

Then he said, "Betty?"

She sucked in a breath of air and involuntarily answered. "Yes."

The warmth she had just heard over the phone was gone and he said tersely, "I have caller id, Betty."

She squinted in agitation, not liking the implication in his voice that she had been trying to bother him. Lying, she said, "I just momentarily lost connection. I apologize."

There was a pause on his side of the line before he said, "I'm late to take my daughter to see the Yankees. Is there something you want?"

Gripping the phone harder, she said, "I wanted to tell you that I am sorry for how I behaved a few days ago. You obviously have a daughter and she's not any of my business."

He was about to apologize to her as well until her words caught him. "Obviously? Did you have to hear her voice to believe me?"

She rubbed her hand against her forehead. Another fight was coming. "If you must know, the thought that you might have lied to spite me did cross my mind."

He blew out air loudly. "Get over yourself, Betty."

"Excuse me?" she asked, anger burning through her bones.

"Just what I said," he said, equally as hot. "We had something five years ago, Betty. Nothing even happened between us."

His words ate at her and she wanted nothing more than to end the conversation. But, instead, she said, "And?"

She could hear his voice become even coarser as he said, "And I do have a daughter as you damn well know now. I don't have time to play games with you. I'm too old and that's too boring."

Tears stung at her eyes. "I'm not trying to play games with you. Do you really think I want that either?"

He sighed. "What do you want, Betty?"

She put her head down, her hair falling around her and the phone. "I want to stop fighting with you."

His voice calmed and was quieter when he said, "Yeah, me too."

Her voice was sweeter, too. "Why didn't you tell me about Giovanna, Gio?"

He could hear her need to know. "That's a story for another time. I'm just leaving with my daughter now."

She nodded. "Okay. Again, I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry, too, Betty. Goodbye."

"Bye. Have fun today."

"Thanks," he said, and hung up the phone.

She turned off the phone and rested her back against the couch. _My daughter_. She wasn't used to hearing that phrase from him. She also wasn't used to hearing him talk about their history as he did. _Nothing even happened between us. _She had said the same to herself many times over, but she never truly believed it and it tore at her spirit to think that he did feel that way.

Now she knew that not only did he have a daughter that he had not seen fit to tell her about five years ago, he never saw what they had as important. She had always worried that she had made a mistake by breaking up with him and now she knew that he hadn't even cared.

But it was all over now. What he had felt then and what he felt now didn't matter. As Hilda had reminded her, she was in a great, budding relationship with Brant. And she had finally struck a truce with Gio. As much as it hurt to hear Gio's opinion of their past, she was grateful to stop fighting with him.

She wanted to know about his daughter and perhaps sometime he would tell her. But her story had ended with Gio. And it had ended peacefully. She could move on now. Finally and completely.

…………………………

Gio looked down at the phone in his hand. He felt drained. He was getting tired of having conversations like this with Betty and he hoped that he wouldn't have another. Glancing over at his daughter, he smiled at her as she tossed her favorite baseball in the air, her Yankee cap tilted on her head as two pigtails poked from underneath it. She looked so much like her Aunt Nella did at that age.

"So, who was that, Dad?" she asked, slyly feigning disinterest.

Pulling him away from his thoughts, his eyes focused and he said, "Just an old friend, Annie."

The ball stopped in her hand. "But you sounded angry."

His eyebrows rose. "Don't you ever get angry at your friends?"

He had set her off and he knew she would begin to ramble now. "I did get mad yesterday. At recess. Billy Fernandez tried to steal my ball. My favorite ball!" she said, shaking it in her hand. "So I hit him right between the eyes. He cried and everything."

He came over to her, his face serious, and squatted down in order to face her eye to eye. "Annie, you shouldn't hit anyone. Do you know that's wrong?"

"Yeah." She looked down at her feet. Looking at him from the corner of her eye, she said, "Are we still going to see the game?"

He laughed and flipped the bill of her cap down. "Yes, we're going." He pointed his finger at her, "But you're going to apologize to Billy over the phone when we get back."

She began tossing her ball in the air again as they walked out the door. "I will, Dad. I promise!"

He put his arm around her and talked about the day and what they were going to see and who was going to win and lose. But his mind kept drifting back to Betty. He had hated himself for implying to Betty that she had not been important enough to know about Annie, but he had sworn to protect his daughter and that was what he was doing.

He hated himself even more for telling her that what they had five years ago didn't matter to him. That was a lie but this time, he had said it to protect himself. He knew she felt that way or she wouldn't have left him then. He had been a passing phase in her life, a way to escape her relationship with Henry. He had said that so she would never know how much it still killed him that that was all he had been to her. He wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of seeing that it still cut him.

But now that they had both apologized and had promised to stay friendly, there was no reason that she should see it.

TBC


	6. Disappointments and Beginnings

Okay, I'm going to go ahead and change this to an M rated fic now so that you don't know when it's coming. :)

Thanks for reading and/or reviewing. I hope you enjoy…

Chapter 6

"I haven't seen you this excited for a long time, Betty," Hilda said, laughing, as she practiced with her sister's hair.

She moved her hands as she talked, saying, "It's just going to be such a fun night!"

"What's going on, mija?" Ignacio said, walking into the salon. It was after hours and he was waiting for beans to cook for dinner. He sat down in one of the chairs.

Betty kept her head straight to allow Hilda to curl her hair. "_Hot Flash _is hosting a charity benefit next week. It's in a 1940s theme with clothes and music and everything."

Hilda nodded. "That's why I'm doing her hair, Papi. She's going to look perfect for Brant!"

He frowned with fatherly overprotection. "So you're going with Brant?" he said innocently.

Hilda rolled her eyes. "Of course she is, Papi. He's her boyfriend!"

Betty's eyebrows brushed against her skin as she smiled warmly. "It's the first time I've ever had a boyfriend to take to an event. I'm always between guys when things like this come up."

Ignacio stood and kissed the top of her head, saying, "You'll have a wonderful time, mi amor."

Betty and Hilda cried, shooing him away. "Papi, not the hair!"

Ignacio threw his hands back and stepped away. Before he could leave, Justin came through the front door yelling. "Mom! Mom! Grandpa! Aunt Betty!"

They all turned to see him. "What is it, Justin?"

He stood in front of them, the mail in his hands, his face glowing. "I got into Parsons! I'm going to the Parsons School of Design!"

They all hollered in celebration and hugged him. "Tonight, we're celebrating!" Ignacio said. "I'll go make a cake!"

They spent the rest of the night chattering about the future and eating and enjoying each other's company.

……………………………………….

A few days later, Claire Meade was running the weekly staff meeting. About halfway through, she picked up an article and said, "Kat, this was an excellent job on that sandwich shop. Our readers are going to love it. I want more."

Betty's head popped up. "More?" she asked, bewildered.

Claire eyed her questioningly. "Yes, more. I think it would be great to have a monthly article devoted to the owner and his restaurant."

Kat beamed. "I would love to do that! I'm sure Mr. Rossi would go for it too."

"Wonderful, Kat." Claire put down the article on the table.

"Is this really necessary?" Betty asked, uncharacteristically butting in. "He's difficult to work with. Would our readers really respond to him?"

Kat stuck out her bottom lip and blinked in puzzlement. "He works just fine with me." She shrugged. "Once you get to know him anyway. I think it could be great."

Claire rapped her knuckles on the table. "I agree. He's witty. Smart. He sounds like a great single dad and businessman." She lifted up his picture that was to accompany Kat's article. "And he's delectably handsome." There was a rumble of laughter in the room. Claire clapped her hands and said, "Okay, that's settled. What's next?"

……………………………..

After the meeting, Brant found Betty in her office. He knocked on the door and went in, finding her bent over papers at her desk. "Betty?"

Looking up, she said, "What's up?"

"That's what I was about to ask you." He went over and sat in a chair in front of her. "You had a moment in the meeting this morning."

Her forehead wrinkled. "What do you mean?"

"When Gio was mentioned," he said, crossing his legs, "you came very close to causing a scene."

"I did no such thing!"

"You did." He looked at her firmly. "Is there something you didn't tell me the other night, Betty? Was he more important to you than you let on?"

"He just bugs me." Letting out a breath, she looked down at the paperwork. "The last time I talked to him, we got into another fight."

"Why do you always fight?"

She tilted her head as she thought. "I don't know. I guess it's because we never got closure. We're different people now and we don't know how to deal with each other."

He flicked at his fingernails, looking at his hands as he did it. "You tried. Maybe you should avoid him now."

She tensed, shifting in her seat. She had promised once not to see Gio again for her boyfriend. She didn't want to make a promise like that again. "Are you giving me some sort of order?"

"What?" he asked. "No. But you're obviously distressed by him. Even you said that maybe you should stop seeing him."

Sighing, she said, "You're right. I'm sorry. And it probably is best. I'm sorry if I worried you."

He stood up and kissed her cheek. "It's okay."

Watching him leave the room, she felt like she had had a fight without actually fighting. But she was sick of fighting all together, so maybe it was best to ignore Gio Rossi for the second time in her life.

…………………………………………

Kat was sitting after hours at Hero Worship in Gio's office, eating what was now her favorite sandwich. "I've got some great news," she said between bites.

He was sitting on his desk eating his own sandwich, idly swinging his legs back and forth. "What's that?"

"You are going to have a monthly article in _Hot Flash_. I get to write anything I want from your recipes to thoughts and advice—anything our readers might be interested in. It was Claire Meade's idea!" she chirped excitedly.

He cocked his head, squinting from one eye. "How did Betty take that news?"

Her smile froze until it slowly faded. "She's not jumping for joy, but it's not her decision to make this time."

He sat and ate for a minute, thinking. Then he smiled and said, "Okay, let's do it."

She reached over and shook his hand to make the deal. Then she became quiet as she said, "Can I ask you something off the record?"

"Shoot."

"What happened between you and Betty? You both are so gun-shy of each other."

Setting his sandwich aside, he said, "I loved her five years ago. And she didn't feel the same way. That's that."

She slightly leaned closer to him in her chair. "So why are you so agitated at each other now? Are there still feelings?"

He shook his head. "Nah, no. We've both changed a lot. It makes it awkward to communicate when we remember each other as someone else."

Her smile started to return and she said, "I've got to ask you something else too. Off the record of course."

He smiled back. "What is it?"

………………………………………..

The next week, everything seemed to be going fine. Betty didn't hear a word about Gio except through the rough drafts from Kat. Brant seemed distant, but he swore he was fine and it had nothing to do with Gio.

Several days after their conversation about Gio, Brant took Betty out to dinner. "So, what's the special occasion?" she asked as they waited for their food to come.

Twirling his fork on the table between two fingers, he said, "I have something important to tell you."

"What's that?" she said, taking a sip of her red wine.

"I think we should see other people."

She spit out the wine, dusting the white table cloth with maroon stains. "You're breaking up with me three days before the _Hot Flash _ball? In our favorite restaurant!"

With all of the confidence she had always admired in him, he looked her in the eye and said, "We haven't been going anywhere for a while now."

Trying to blot the table and her dress dry with her napkin, she asked, "Does this have anything to do with Gio? I haven't seen him in days."

He shook his head. "No, actually, I've met someone. I'm taking her to the event."

Her eyes bulged. "You're what? You are really going to take her to a function for our work three days after breaking up with me?"

He put his hand on hers. "I'm sorry. I hope this isn't too awkward."

She scoffed. "No, I'm sure it will be a barrel of laughs."

His eyes darted around to see if anyone was watching them, if they had been disruptive. "Come now, Betty. You and I both know we were getting bored with each other. We wouldn't be thinking about someone else if we weren't."

Standing up, she said, "I think you'll understand if I don't stay for my meal." She dug through her purse and found some cash, tossing it on the table. "This should pay for my order as well as the table cloth I've ruined." As professionally and coldly as she could, she said, "See you at work, Brant." Then she turned and left.

She didn't cry until she got home and found a pint of ice cream in the freezer.

……………………………………

She called Hilda the next day and told her what had happened. That evening, Hilda relayed the story to Ignacio and Justin.

"I say good riddance," Ignacio said, wiping his hands on his apron. "I never liked the guy anyway."

Hilda waved her hand at him. "Ay, Papi, you never like any guy."

"True," he agreed. "But I still didn't like him. His shoes were too clean."

Justin laughed at his grandfather and then said, "It sounds like Aunt Betty just got Bettied."

Hilda crinkled her nose. "What do you mean?"

"Well," Justin said, "Aunt Betty usually dumps her boyfriends for a new one when she gets scared or bored. Sounds like he beat her to it."

"You're right," Hilda said. "She must not be taking that well. Poor Betty." Then she smiled and hit him on the shoulder. "But she's asking you to be her date for that ball on Friday. Do you want to go? She's going to get you a tux and everything."

"Are you kidding? Or course I want to go!" Justin squealed. Then he ran to his room to phone all of his friends.

They heard a knock at the door. Hilda got up from the kitchen table, saying, "I'll get it. But I don't know who'd come here at seven o'clock at night."

As she opened the door, she found a man and a hysterical teenage girl standing in front of her. "Is this Hilda's Beautilities?" he asked.

Hilda said, "Yes, but we're closed."

"Please," he pleaded. "My daughter was babysitting tonight and one of the kids put gum in her hair. I'd pay you double to fix it."

Hilda watched the girl shed tear after tear until she took her by the shoulder, saying, "Of course I'll help. You don't need to pay me extra."

"Thank you so much," he said, his hat in his hand, his hair showing signs of serious thinning. "My wife died a few years ago and I had no idea what to do."

Hilda smiled kindly as she guided the girl to the seat. "Don't worry about it. I've seen much more damaged hair than this." Looking down at the girl, she asked, "How about a cute pixie?"

This caused the girl to weep some more and she said, "Just don't make me bald like the rest of my family."

Her father laughed. "She's right. The whole family always turns out as bald as a doorknob."

Hilda bent down to face the girl. "I promise you'll look even better when I'm done. No bald patches."

The girl sniffed. "Okay."

Hilda worked on her hair for half an hour, trimming out the gum and then repairing the damaged areas. She then cut the girl's hair into a layered pixie that showed off the teen's delicate features and looked like it had been cut that way purposefully.

The man handed her twice her regular amount, saying, "Thank you so much. I don't know what I would have done without you. I'm so glad my cousin told me about this place when I called him tonight."

Hilda took the money. "I'm just glad I could help. You really don't need to pay me this much though."

He held her hands in his, gesturing for her to keep it. His hands were large and rough. His eyes were a dark chocolate that matched the color of his hair. He stood a few inches taller than her. "Yes, I do," he said. "I feel like I fail her sometimes because I can't be her mother. I am grateful to have the chance to save the day tonight."

Hilda nodded. "I understand. I have a son. His father died six years ago."

"I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry for you, too," she said. Then she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and said, "I don't think you told me your name."

"I apologize," he said, laughing, sticking out his hand for her to shake it. "I'm Maurizo Rossi. You can call me Rizo, though. Everyone does."

Still holding his hand, she said, "Rossi? Is Gio your cousin that told you about me?"

He nodded. "Yes, he told me this was a great place. He was right."

"Thank you," she said, ushering them finally to the door. "It was nice to meet you. Come back."

Putting his hat back on, he said, "We surely will."

Hilda shut the door and turned, putting her back to the wooden frame. She had thought so before and now she was sure: Gio Rossi was not finished with her sister. And now she very much felt like his cousin was not finished with her either.

TBC


	7. Revelations

Chapter 7

Betty picked Justin up and drove into the city. "You look nice," she said, eyeing the zoot suit he was wearing. The dark color complimented his skin tone and the vertical, white lines accentuated his height and lanky build.

Readjusting the kerchief in his front pocket, he looked over at her and smiled. "So do you, Aunt Betty. Thanks for taking me."

She returned the smile. As disappointed as she was at not having a real date to the ball, she was glad to take Justin. And she felt good about the way she looked. "It's not a problem, Justin. Thank you for not making me go alone."

They chatted as they made their way to the Meade building. The family had remodeled the third floor into a hall in order to have company banquets, galas, and balls in the building. Alexis had thought that it would be a great way to remind clients and enemies alike why they were there and who ran the magazine industry. It turned out to be a very lucrative business decision.

As they got out of the car and into the elevators, Betty was becoming more and more excited. She had been waiting for this party for months. And although she had still never attended an event like this with a boyfriend, she was thrilled to be attending at all.

Until she reached their table.

She saw Kat first, beautiful in her navy blue period dress, her hair pulled back. She was laughing joyously and about to take a sip of wine. Betty smiled; she had to admit that the young woman's personality was infectious and she enjoyed being around her. She was glad to be sitting with her. But then she saw who Kat was laughing with.

Gio.

Kat had brought Gio to the ball. It stung that he could laugh and smile with Kat. There had been a time when she was the one he tried to make laugh, the one he would smile at. She still remembered all of his different smiles, the playful one, the hint of a smile when his eyes were warm, the ear-to-ear smile he had when he was excited, the small smile of sadness. She knew them all but never saw any of them directed her way anymore. All she got from him now were apologies, anger, and disdain. She feared that all of her hopes for a happy night had been dashed. But she stood straight, her shoulders back, and she swore to herself that she would have a great night anyway—Gio be damned.

Taking a deep breath, she put her arm around Justin's and went over to the table. When Gio saw them approaching, he and the other two men at the table stood up. When she saw him from head to toe, her will weakened considerably. His hair was styled as usual, but it seemed even more dashing when accompanied by the black tuxedo he was wearing. The shirt underneath was a clean white and made his eyes spark. The kerchief in his front jacket pocket was a silk navy blue that matched Kat's dress. His shoes shined black and he stood with all of the confidence that age and success can give. He may not have been the most handsome man she had ever seen, but he was to her. She let out a slight gasp at how beautiful he was and later hoped that he or no one else had heard it.

Gio's eyes trained on her the moment he saw her walk in. He was surprised to see her with Justin instead of a date, but then remembered how much she relied on family. He had always admired that about her because he had been taught to do the same.

He had been telling a story to Kat when he saw her. He could faintly hear her laughing next to him. Everything seemed to stop when Betty walked in. He had always found her attractive, but tonight she was a vision. She was wearing a soft lavender dress that complimented her olive skin and dark hair. The dress fell to the floor in a wavy, 40s design that curved with her figure and left everything wonderfully to the imagination. Her hair was pulled partially back so that it fell around her neck in large, soft curls. She looked like she had just stepped out of an old movie. When he stood up to greet them, he hoped that his knees would hold him.

They looked at each other silently for several moments until Justin finally spoke. "Gio!"

Gio dragged his eyes away from Betty and broke out into a wide grin. "Hey, hey!" he said brightly, shaking the young man's hand. "How are you, Justin?"

Humbly yet excited, he said, "I'm good. I'm graduating this year and I got into Parsons Design School."

"That is great, man. Congratulations!" He watched them take their seats across from him and Kat and said, "Your mom must be so proud."

Justin chuckled. "She only tells every customer she has that I'm going. Even the ones she has already told." The table laughed and small chatters began amongst the other two couples at the table. Feeling awkward, Justin asked, "So how's your daughter?"

Betty hit him on the leg and Justin jumped. Gio saw the interaction, but ignored it, saying, "Annie's really good. Thank you for asking. She loves baseball and first grade."

Shifting in her seat, Betty said solemnly, "That's a great age."

He nodded. "Yeah," he said, "but I think I'm enjoying it more than she is. I'm dreading when she's sixteen."

Kat put her hand on Gio's knee. "What you're dreading are the boys like you."

He smiled at her. "That is most likely true."

A wave of jealousy rushed through Betty as she watched Kat receive another smile she would never get. "Just don't ever let one take her on a carriage ride. That's where all the trouble starts," she muttered.

His eyes flew over to hers. "Well, when my daughter does turn sixteen, the first thing I plan to teach her is to not be with one boy while playing another. I think _that's _where the trouble really starts."

Anger seared through her and she was just about to retort when Claire Meade began talking over the microphone, thanking everyone there and telling them that dinner was about to be served.

They stayed civil for the rest of the night, but rarely took their eyes off each other. Gio even stole a hard glance at Betty before he looked over at Kat and said, "Do you want to dance?"

Kat's smile had considerably faded as the night went on, but she agreed and they headed hand in hand to the dance floor.

Betty's eyes followed their every step until she was distracted by someone else's dancing. A few feet away from them, Brant was dancing with his date, a tall and blonde beauty that looked unmistakably like a model. Her eyes darted from Brant to Gio and back, then back again. This night had unequivocally been one of the worst nights of her life.

Justin saw her disappointment. "Aunt Betty, would you like to dance?"

She blinked heavily and gave him a small smile. "No, it's okay, Justin. But thank you. Tonight just wasn't my night. I hope I haven't ruined your evening."

"Are you kidding?" he said, shaking his head. "This was amazing! I just wish you were happier."

She patted his arm. "Thank you."

Kat could feel that Gio's body was stiff around hers. His arm was awkward and his hand was barely touching hers. When she looked up at him, she saw that he was still looking at Betty. This was to be their first real date. She had asked him days ago and he had accepted, but it wasn't going at all as she thought it would.

"It was nice to see Justin again," he said casually. "My little sister's graduating this year too."

"Congratulations," she said with more gumption than she felt.

"It's strange that Betty brought him here, though. Didn't you tell me she was seeing someone?"

She nodded. "Our Creative Director," she said, pointing him out. "Rumor is, he dumped her for that glamazon he's dancing with."

"Classy," he snorted. "No wonder Betty's in a peach of a mood."

She sighed. "Do you know?"

Her words shook him out of his reverie. He finally looked down at her. "What?"

"Do you know how often you look at Betty?"

His forehead wrinkled and he shook his head. "What are you talking about?"

Her voice was calm but disappointed. "You have had your eyes on her ever since she walked into the room."

Instinctively, he backed away from her, but still held her in the dance. "I've barely talked to her all night, Kat."

She looked down at the floor and let out the air she had been holding. "You don't have to talk to her, Gio. The way you look at her says it all."

"I'm not looking at her."

She lifted her head back up to see him. "The fact that you can't talk to her proves that you have feelings."

"What are you saying?"

She gently pulled away from his embrace and said, "Until you figure out your feelings for Betty, I think we should stop seeing each other. Privately I mean, outside of the magazine."

He put out his hand. "Kat—"

She said firmly, "I'm going home, Gio. Have a good night. I hope you call me when you figure things out." She retrieved her purse from the table, made an excuse to Justin and Betty for her leaving, and left the room.

They looked at each other and then at Gio who was standing in the middle of the dance floor alone. Justin said quickly yet assuredly, "Aunt Betty, I think you should go dance with Gio."

She choked out a laugh. "What? No, that's crazy."

Nudging her with his elbow, he said, "Go on. You know you want to."

Looking at a confused Gio, she stood up and walked over to him. He looked at her with even more confusion, so she said, "Kat told us she wasn't feeling well and had to leave."

He glanced down and said softly, "Yeah, she wasn't in the mood to stay for the party."

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah."

Betty wrung her hands together as she said, "Would you like to dance?"

His head whipped up towards her. "With you?"

With a smile, she said, "I don't see anyone else offering and I think your dance card is empty."

The band began playing lively 40s jazz and Gio put his arm around her, taking her hand in his. They were awkward at first, but each step became easier until they were dancing with the comfort of years passed.

Swallowing a little pride, Betty looked past Gio's shoulder as she said, "You look good tonight, Gio."

For the first time, the hint of a genuine smile danced over his features. "You look like Lauren Bacall tonight."

She cocked her head thoughtfully to the side. "Thank you, but I was going for Audrey Hepburn."

"No, Bacall is much better."

Her hips and feet matched his perfectly as they moved quickly and jauntily to the beat. "Why is that?"

His arm reflexively pulled her tighter, their clothes slightly brushing against each other. "Hepburn is sweet. The original American dream. She's class and beauty personified."

Her voice became strained, saying, "And that's not me?"

His smile became a bit wider at her annoyance. "No. Perfect is boring. And you are neither perfect nor boring."

She squinted at him, not ready to take either as a compliment. "And what is Lauren Bacall?"

He looked up at the ceiling as if searching for words. "She's mysterious. Gutsy. She knows what she wants and she's not afraid to say it. She was the kind of woman that made a tough guy like Humphrey Bogart drop to his knees and fall head over heels. And that, Betty, is much more interesting than Audrey Hepburn."

Her mouth parted. She was stunned by what he had said. He had not talked to her like this, held her like this for years and she had never expected him to again. Instead of thanking him, she smiled back at him and said quietly, "Why didn't you tell me about your daughter?"

Relaxed now, he let the music and the woman in his arms take him away. "There was nothing to tell."

"I could have handled it."

His head went back and forth. "No, I mean, when I knew you, there was nothing to tell."

Her brows furrowed. "What?"

"When I was in Italy, I got a call from my mother that my sister had died."

Betty's eyes went wide. "Nella?"

"No, my older sister. Marie. She had a two year old daughter. The father had disappeared long ago. Nella was too young and my parents were too old. So I returned home immediately and adopted Annie myself."

Betty played with his lapel with the tips of her fingers. "But why is her name Giovanna? I thought that was for you."

He shook his head. "No, I'm a junior. My father's name is Giovanni Rossi, Sr."

She looked into his eyes, almost desperate for the answer. "Why didn't you tell me all of this before?"

He shrugged. "I felt like I was protecting her. She's my daughter. I never considered her adopted. She is mine. Completely."

"You didn't have to protect her from me."

He pulled her even closer without noticing, his smile even bigger again. "I know. I'm sorry."

They danced in silence for several minutes until the band changed to something slow. The saxophone was playing and Betty and Gio's movements became smaller and slower. Betty's eyes closed. "You know, it's nice."

He was observing her features when he asked, "What is?"

"This," she said, raising her free hand to wave between them. "You and me. I never thought we'd be like this again."

His body immediately tensed and the smile was gone. "We're not like that again."

Shocked by how quickly he changed, her jaw dropped and she said, "I meant as friends."

Clearing his throat, he said, "I know what you meant and I don't think you can just _be _friends with a man."

She pulled away from him. "How dare you say that to me! I won't stand for it."

People began gawking when Gio said, "Tell me, Betty. Am I the only one you won't let get away with things or are you a regular ball buster with every man you meet?" His face came closer to hers as he said, "If I recall correctly, you're not."

Betty waved her hand dismissively. "Like you're some knight in shining armor to be proud of. You've been nothing more than a nuisance to me since the day I met you!"

Gio's face twisted arrogantly and he stepped even closer. "But you can't stay away from me can you? You shouldn't have that much pride either, Miss Suarez."

Brant came bounding up between them and put his hand out in front of Gio. "That's enough," he said. "I think you should leave."

Gio snarled at him, barking, "If you wanted to have an opinion, you shouldn't have dumped her in the first place."

"The same goes for you, Gio!" Betty shot back.

He wagged his finger at her. "Oh, no. I didn't dump you. You ran."

Betty stepped towards him fierily. "And now I know why."

"Yeah," he said, gesturing at Brant, "so you could go off gallivanting with someone like Mr. Floss-A-Lot here who's going to ditch you the next time he sees something better."

The next thing Gio knew, he was on the floor, his eye pounding, Brant standing over him.

The band had stopped playing and Justin ran over to help. Pointing at Brant, Betty said, "Just go. You've done enough." She didn't take the time to watch him walk away as he tried to apologize to her. Betty then told Justin to help her pick Gio up. Once he was upright, she tossed Justin her keys and said, "Take my car back to Queens. Just go home and don't stop anywhere. I want my car in tact when I go get it tomorrow."

"What about you?" he asked.

"I'll take a cab," she reassured him. "Just go." Justin darted off and left the building.

Gio tried to wrest his arm away from Betty, saying, "I can catch a cab, too. Now."

She gripped his arm tighter. "Oh, no," she said. "You're going up to my office. We need to get something cold on your eye and then we need to talk."

"And the night keeps getting better," he grumbled.

Through the elevator, they could hear the faint beat of the band once they had struck up again. Betty guided him towards her office when they were on her floor.

Gio looked around the large room with his good eye. "Swanky. You've done well for yourself."

"Don't be patronizing or smart," she said, settling him down on a chair next to her desk. She left the room dark save for the light coming through the windows from the glow of the cityscape. "I'm tired of you being an ass tonight."

He watched her go to the small refrigerator in the corner. "I thought that was a part of my charm."

"Hardly." She got out a can of Coke and took it to him, putting it over his eye. Holding the can against him, she held a breath in her chest. "What happened, Gio?"

He winced, the cold stinging his already developing bruise. "Before or after Captain Amazing gave me a black and blue?"

She took the can away so that she could see him completely. "Why did you cause that scene tonight?"

Rubbing his face, he said, "Well, let's see. First of all, the best woman I've met in a long while left me in the middle of a ball room and then your boyfriend punched me in the face. Now, I'm no expert, but it seems to me that both of those events lead back to you."

"Me?"

He nodded. "Yes, you are the cause of my current problems tonight. And the saddest and funniest part of all of this is that he wasn't the first of your boyfriends to try to knock me out." Pointing at her, he said, "You know, they tend to get violent when I'm too close to you." He sighed, looking down and shaking his head. "Maybe that should tell me something."

He stood up to leave but she blocked him, putting her hand on his chest. "Now, wait a minute," she said. "I have spent the last few weeks fighting with you up and down New York City and I'm tired of it."

"Good. Me too," he said, trying to side step her.

She stood in front of him, cutting him off again. "Tonight, I felt it. And I know you did, too. For a moment, we were nice to each other again. It felt like old times. But as soon as I mentioned it, you got nasty."

He looked at her coldly as if he were bored. "What's your point?"

Pain and anger flashed through her eyes and she felt as though she may cry. "Why are you being so damn mean?"

His last nerve snapped and his eyes focused on hers, boring through her. "I'm so damn mean because I can't be nice to you. I want you to hate me. I want you to want me to go away." He looked at her with the same amount of hurt and anger. "I don't want to let you in again."

Her hands became fists and she shook them, frustrated. "Why?"

He saw that every ounce of her wanted him to explain, wanted him to let go of his pain and anger. He saw the glow in her eyes and the pout of her lip. Instead of answering her, he grabbed her head with both hands and pulled her towards him, his lips falling hard on hers. She tried to yank away from him, but he dropped one hand from her head and put it around her back, bringing her hips firmly next to his.

She whimpered and cried as her hands fought to find something to take her away from him, but as his tongue slid in her mouth while his hand slid to her bottom, her fighting hands began gripping at the material on his jacket, wrinkling the fabric as she desperately tried to hold on.

He poured all of his hurt, all of his frustration and anger into every kiss, every groan, every touch. She did the same. She grabbed at his hair and tugged hard, causing him to grunt. He nipped her bottom lip with his front teeth and she nearly jumped out of her skin.

He bent his head down, smelling her warm, flowery perfume before he licked her neck from her collar bone to her earlobe. Her head came up and she sighed at the ecstasy of the feeling. Running her hands over his stubble, she wished she could feel that roughness against her body and she rubbed her cheek against his. His hand came up to her breast and he kneaded it hard, flicking his thumb against her nipple. He delighted in her long moan and soft curse. He was about to bring his tongue down to make the same movement as his thumb, but she stopped him by putting her hands on his shoulders.

"No," she said, "I have to go back out there."

He knew she meant that she didn't want a wet spot on her dress for when she went back to the party and the dismissal fueled his anger and agitation. He tugged off his jacket and threw it on the floor. He held her waist with both hands and grinded his hips against hers. "Don't worry, Betty. After we're done, it will be a while before your legs start moving again."

"You arrogant bastard," she growled into his ear before she bit at his earlobe hard enough to make him wince.

His hands still on her hips, he swiftly glided her to her desk and pushed off a clearing with one sweep of his hand. She helped sit herself on the desk, her bottom on the edge. She put her legs close to his sides, holding him close to her. She kissed him this time, stroking his tongue suggestively with her own. Then she massaged his bottom lip with her mouth, running her tongue across the delicate skin. She kissed his bruise, causing him to grunt in pain again. Grabbing the back of her head, he braced her so that she wasn't lying back. She helped him unzip and unbutton his pants and then hike up the skirt of her dress.

He looked into her eyes and with a smirk said, "No going back now. You sure you want to do this?"

With her legs, she nudged him closer, squeezing him between her calves. "I'm here, aren't I?"

Taking a condom from his wallet, he slipped it on. He put one of his hands on the desk while bracing her again with the other. Without ceremony, he slid inside her as he stood firmly next to the desk, leaning over it. They both softly cried out as he entered her. He pumped long, hard strokes into her. She clung to him, her legs still wrapped around him, her arms around his neck, her fingers searching through his hair and then over his face.

She had never felt the need for this type of sex before. She was usually one to like gentle and romantic. But as he slid in and out of her, nearly leaving her each time and sliding deeper in with each move, she wanted him to continue. She wanted to fight him for it, her body arching against his. Scratching her nails against the cloth on his back, she panted, "Harder, Gio, please?"

"Do you like this?" he said, breathing heavy now.

"Yes," she cried. "Please, more." She flexed her legs even harder.

He teased her more, moving softer, slower, as he said, "I'm the only one that could ever make you feel like this, couldn't I?"

She clawed at his shoulders, begging him to continue. "Yes! You know you are!"

That was all he needed to hear and he began moving faster again, grinding into her in circular motions, rubbing against her completely exposed bottom. "So are you," he said through grinding teeth, lowering her down onto the desk now so that her back was flat against it.

"I'm what?" With a free hand, he went underneath her dress and laid it flat on her stomach, putting pressure against her as he pumped deeper and deeper. Her eyes rolled back and she bit at her bottom lip. "I'm what?" she repeated, almost shouting.

He lowered the hand until it found her hot and wet center. Taking his index and middle finger he circled her exposed bud. With each motion of his fingers, he moved them faster and harder as he done the same inside her. "You're the only one that can make me feel like I'm living and dying in the same moment," he said, licking his lips as he watched her writhe beneath him.

His fingers went back and forth so hard that her whole body felt like it was itching until the itches turned to flickers and the flickers into flames. Her ears rang and her breath stopped in her chest. Her hands reached out to grab for his shirt and face, her legs shaking as he still moved even harder inside her. She yelled out for what felt like a lifetime as she came, sweat pouring into her designer dress. Her body milked his until he could no longer take it and he came moments after her. He rested against her legs and the desk until her finally left her and threw the condom in the nearest trash can.

She lay there, spent, until all rationality came back. She couldn't see his smile in the darkness and didn't know he was about to lean over her and kiss her gently on the lips. Before he could, she sat up, the back of her hand to her forehead and said, "I think you should go."

He almost laughed until he realized she was being serious. "What?"

Still sitting on the desk, she readjusted her dress as best as she could. "I never want to see you again."

He grabbed his jacket in a bunch with his fist. "Why are you doing this?"

She swept a tear that was brimming from her eye. "What we did is wrong. You and I are wrong." She looked down at her lap and said quietly, "Just go."

He put his cheek next to her ear and said hotly and thickly, "Don't try to get up. Like I told you, you won't be able to for a while."

She squeezed her eyes shut and refused to touch him by shoving him away. "Just get out!"

He opened the door, turned back, and looked at her silhouette encased in the window. "You'll want me again someday. I won't be here the next time."

She flinched when he slammed the door. She cried for half an hour. She waited until three in the morning to leave her office, too weak to move and way too embarrassed to go back to the party.

She had made him leave because she was ashamed of herself. She had wanted him all of this time. She had wanted him ever since she had told him to leave five years ago. She loved him. She was in love with him. And instead of expressing herself in a dignified way, she had rough, rowdy, slutty sex. He would never look at her again the way she wanted him to. He would not respect her. She didn't respect herself. She had sold herself out, their potential out, for amazing sex.

She was not Lauren Bacall. And now, because of her embarrassing display, he would never be her Bogart.

………………………………

He caught the first cab he saw and ordered the driver to take him home. He stewed in the backseat the forty-some blocks. He was glad that Annie was staying with his parents for the weekend because he couldn't deal with putting a happy face on for her tonight.

He threw his suit jacket on the nearest chair and went into the kitchen to get a beer. It had been quite a revealing night and he wanted to forget most of it.

He was going to have to call Kat in the morning and he knew that would be an uncomfortable conversation. He wasn't even sure what he was going to tell her, but she was a good woman and she deserved some sort of explanation.

Uncontrollably replaying the events of the evening in his mind, he could once again see Betty as she walked towards the table with Justin in arm. Damn, she had looked so beautiful. As much as he tried to push her away, as much as he tried to convince himself that he didn't find her attractive, he had engrained into memory every loose strand of hair, every smile, every sparkle that had been in her eye that night.

And he damn well had committed every touch, lick, and kiss she had given him tonight as well. He hated that the thoughts wouldn't go away. He hated that he still felt turned on by his memory's images of her. He could still smell her scent on his skin, on his clothes.

But she didn't want him. For whatever reason this time, she had decided that they were _wrong._

As much as he wanted to agree with her, he didn't. He had lied to himself for five years, but now that he had been with her, had been inside her, he knew for sure that there was no one else who was _right_ for him. He had buried the feelings for years, but they escaped from him now like a tidal wave rushing over him. He was in love with Betty Suarez.

And she didn't love him back. She didn't even want to look at him or be in the same room with him ever again.

He took a swig of his beer and sat down on his bed. For the first time since his sister had died, he cried.

TBC


	8. Apologies and Explanations

Okay, I'm not too sure about this chapter, but here it is. Thank you to all those who are reading. Getty now and Getty forever!

Chapter 8

Betty sat on the couch in her apartment, bent over, her arms covering the back of her head. "I just feel so lousy," she said.

Hilda walked over and put a cup of coffee on the table in front of her sister, taking her own cup and sitting in the chair next to her. "What happened last night, Betty? Justin came home pretty freaked out."

Rubbing her bloodshot eyes, she said, "Brant hit Gio."

"Justin told me all about that," Hilda said, nodding.

Betty sighed. "Then I slept with him."

Hilda's eyebrows rose. "You got back together with Brant?"

Shaking her head, she said, "No. It was Gio."

Hilda choked on the hot coffee going down her throat. "You slept with Gio? Here?"

Betty hid her face with her hands. "On my desk!"

Her eyes bulged. "You what? Betty, that's not like you!"

"I know. I know," she repeated on a long breath. "But we were alone and fighting and he kissed me."

Hilda waved her hands excitedly. "And?"

"And I had forgotten how much I loved the way he kisses me," she said quietly. "So I gave into what I was feeling and slept with him."

Hilda took another drink of her coffee as she eyed her sister. "So you're dating Gio now?"

"No." Betty ran her hand through her hair. "I told him that I never wanted to see him again."

Hilda's brow furrowed. "What? Why?"

Her mouth dropped open but no words came out until she finally said, "Because I'm so embarrassed of my actions last night. I had no control over myself. How could he ever respect me again?"

"I knew him, too, Betty, and I know how he was with you," she said. "I don't think there will ever be a time that he doesn't respect you."

Betty rubbed her eyes. "I don't want to talk about it anymore. What's going on with you?"

Hilda stared at her a few minutes, until a smile spread across her face and she said, "I've got a date."

Betty smiled for the first time that morning. "That's great!"

Hilda nodded. "Yeah, I'm really excited. He seems like such a great guy."

"Who is it?"

Hilda's face froze and she looked down. "Maurizo Rossi."

"Rossi?" Betty said, her forehead wrinkling. "As in Gio Rossi? As in my Gio?"

"It's his cousin."

"Hilda!"

"What?" she said, shrugging. "It's not Rizo's or my fault that you and Gio can't work things out." Hilda looked at her more pointedly. "Rizo is a good man, Betty. Just like his cousin."

Betty let out a long breath as she stared out blankly into the room. She knew that he was. That's why she loved him.

………………………………………

Gio tried all weekend to call Kat to apologize but he couldn't gather the energy. Deep down, he knew she deserved an explanation in person. Early Monday morning, he got showered and dressed and headed for Meade Publications before he had to go to work himself.

He walked through the lobby and into the elevator. As the doors were about to close, a hand slid between them. He held the doors open and watched as Betty walked inside and stood next to him.

Their bodies tensed and they stared directly forward at the doors. "Good morning," he finally said in a fake, cheerful mood.

Betty ground her teeth. "What are you doing here?"

"I needed to talk to Kat." He glanced over, his eyes piercing hers. "Is that okay with you?"

She cocked her eyebrow. "Are you seriously going to try to win her back now? After what we…"

Flinching at her words, he searched her face for a reaction but found nothing but ice. He returned the coldness and said, "I wasn't aware that you're interested in what I do anymore."

She batted her eyes, trying to regain focus. "I'm not."

He looked away, hissing with guilt. "I owe her an explanation for Friday night, Betty. That's all."

"Oh." She looked at her feet trying to hide that his declaration did make her happy.

They finished the ride in silence. Gio could smell her perfume, the scent that drove him to madness the night of the ball. He had heard the relief in her voice about Kat. He could sense her stress and what he really wanted to do was hold her, massage the tension from her muscles, kiss her worry away. He was about to turn to her and call her name when the elevator stopped and the doors opened.

Betty walked out first quickly and he watched her move away from him before he got out as well.

He asked around for Kat until someone guided him to her desk. He found her hunched over her computer, typing wildly. "Hey," he said, as he leaned against her desk.

Her head flew up and she looked at him. "Hi, Gio," she said as if out of breath.

Pointing at her monitor, he said, "Working hard?"

She gave a faint smile. "Yes, this new article on you is due by the end of the week."

"I'm sure you'll do a great job."

Kat picked up a pencil and twirled it between her fingers. "Why are you really here, Gio?"

Laughing softly but without humor, he said, "I'm not that great at small talk, am I?"

She laughed too, saying, "Not when you look that exhausted and depressed. I take it this weekend didn't go well."

"No," he said. "It didn't. I did what you asked of me. I sorted out how I felt about Betty."

"And?" she asked, holding her breath.

"I love her. I guess that never really went away," he said solemnly. "I'm sorry I got you involved with that."

Kat shook her head. "We never got that serious. You don't have to apologize." She stuck out her hand. "Can we still be friends?"

He smiled and took her hand. "I'd like that. Thank you for understanding, Kat."

She waved her hand for him to stop. "I just hope everything works out for you."

He put his hand on her shoulder. "You too."

Pointing her pencil at him, she said, "I'll give you a call in a few days to get some quotes for the article."

He gave her a quick nod. "Sounds good. Thanks."

They said their goodbyes and he was about to leave when he saw that Betty's assistant was not at her desk. Cursing his compulsion, he headed for her office and knocked at the door. He went inside and found her at her desk.

Her skin paled. "What are you doing, Gio?"

He took a few steps further into the room, his hands down at his sides. "I just want to know what happened Friday, Betty."

Looking back down at the work on her desk, she said, "You had health class. I think you know what happened."

"Dammit, you know what I mean," he said through gritted teeth. "I knew you a long time ago, but I don't think you'd change so much that you would have slept with me and then discarded me for no reason. Why did you do it?"

Still refusing to look at him, her skin was hot and red as she said, "Gio, just go away."

"No," he said, pointing at her. "I've left you without getting an explanation before and I'm not doing it this time. I want to know."

"Why do you want to know?"

He sounded urgent and he came even closer. "Because what we did here meant something. Everything we have done has meant something."

Her eyes glazed with confusion and pain. "What we did was shameful. I've never in my life acted out like that before."

"Haven't you learned by now that it's good to break the rules sometimes?"

Her nerves felt like they were jumping out of her skin. She was so uncomfortable. "Some rules aren't meant to be broken."

His voice cracked and it was rough and raspy as he said, "Am I really that dangerous to you, Betty? Am I that much against the rules?"

Hearing the hurt in his voice, her head finally whipped up and she said, "I wasn't talking about you, Gio. What I did was wrong."

His face crinkled. "How?"

She looked away again, tears stinging her eyes. "I touched you out of my own need. I used you in the basest of ways. How could you ever look at me again without saying, 'There's Betty Suarez—the woman I nailed on a desk one night'?"

"Is that what you think?" he asked, coming closer now so that he was standing directly across from her. "Betty, did you sleep with me because you wanted sex or because you wanted to be with me?"

She looked up at his pleading, dark eyes. The way he was staring at her made her incapable of lying this time. "I wanted you."

He sat down on the edge of her desk. Taking his finger, he put it underneath her chin so that she would continue to look at him. "Then you didn't use me. And I sure as hell didn't use you. What we did in this room wasn't wrong. As much as I hate to admit it, I was making love to you."

Her eyes became big. "What?"

"Sex isn't always delicate and romantic. But I was expressing how I felt and I would never look down on you for that," he said, rubbing her jaw with his thumb.

A tear finally slipped down her cheek. "Why didn't you call me?"

He smiled. "I'm here now."

Shaking her head, she said, "Five years ago. You promised me you'd call when you got back from Rome. Why didn't you?"

He stood up and turned away from her, putting his hands in his pockets. "Because you broke my heart. I wanted to call. I almost did many times, but I never did." Pacing mindlessly, he added, "And then my sister died and I adopted Annie. I couldn't risk getting close to you and getting hurt again. And I couldn't let Annie get hurt either."

Now Betty's heart snapped in guilt. All the anger they had had in the past weeks melted away as they both realized what they had lost for so long. They were looking at each other for the first time in years. Really looking at who they were. "I tried to find you once," she said. "I got the nerve to finally go to the deli and you had sold it."

"Yeah," he said, turning towards her again. "I couldn't afford keeping it in the city with Annie. I moved the deli to Queens until I had enough money to start Hero Worship."

"Oh."

He walked back to her desk and leaned over, putting his hands on her desk. "You looked for me?"

Nodding, she said, "I was afraid I had made a mistake and I missed you. But when I couldn't find you, I thought it was a sign."

"You've ran from me twice, Betty," he said, pain and desperation in his voice. "It couldn't just be because of shame this time. Why did you leave now and why then?"

She stayed silent until he put his hand on hers. Finally unable to keep it inside any longer, she said, "I left for the same reason then as now."

He leaned closer. "What is it?"

Looking into his eyes, she said, "You could mean forever. You always have. The only other person who has was Henry. After that ended so badly, I was terrified of forever. I was terrified of you. I still am."

He cupped the side of her face with his hand. "I'm scared too. But fear shouldn't stop you from trying. You'll never be happy if you keep running. And neither will I."

She put her hand over his on her face. "What are you saying?"

He took a deep breath and stared truthfully and deeply into her eyes. "I'm saying that if you're willing to stop running, I'll stop fighting you. I want us to be okay, Betty."

Squeezing his hand, she said, "So do I."

He gave her a small smile. "More than okay."

She smiled back. "So do I."

He swiped tears from her cheeks with his thumbs. "Have dinner with me tonight."

She blinked. "Okay."

TBC


	9. Dinner and a Show

Chapter 9

Betty was sitting in her office a few days later. She was thinking about the Friday to come in just a few days. She was excited and nervous about her date with Gio. Was it even really a date? She felt jittery even thinking about it. She had not felt like this in such a long time about anyone, if she ever actually had before.

Her head whipped up from the sound of knocking at her door. Brant walked through. "Good morning, Betty," he said politely but cautiously.

Curtly, she said, "Good morning, Brant. Is there something you need?"

His eyes darted down and he took a couple long strides closer to her. "I wanted to apologize for what happened the other night."

She raised her brow. "You mean hitting Gio in front of everyone?"

Nodding, he said, "Yes, and I'm sorry. I was trying to defend you, but I handled it badly."

She shook her head, saying, "I don't need you to defend me, Brant. I didn't need it when we were seeing each other and I especially do not need it now."

He stuck his hand out as he spoke, saying, "The guy was being rude."

Taking a deep breath, she said, "You don't know him and I'm starting to think you never really knew me."

"Betty—"

She put her hand up in front of her. "You broke up with me, Brant. You don't get to choose what's appropriate for me or not."

"I wasn't trying to interfere."

"Yes, you were." She stood up and came around to face him. "Brant, you're my boss. And I'd like it if you were still my friend. But that's as far as we go."

He took her hand. "Okay, and I am sorry. I won't interfere again."

She smiled. "Thank you."

He squeezed her hand and left the room.

……………………………..

Betty was putting her earrings in when apartment buzzer went off. She clicked the button and said, "Hello?"

"Hey, it's me," a raspy voice replied through the transmission.

She blinked, flustered. "Come on up, Gio." She scurried around her apartment one last time to make sure everything was clean and put in its place. Looking in the mirror, she touched up her lip gloss and waited for him to arrive. She still jumped when he finally knocked on the door. She opened the door and smiled. He looked good in black slacks, a light blue button down shirt, and a charcoal suit jacket. "Hi," she said.

"Hi," he said with a thick, hearty voice and warm smile. He glanced down to appreciate how she looked in her black, v-neck dress with white trim. Leaning in, he tried to give her a hello kiss on the cheek. She tried to lean into him, turning her face. The awkwardness caused his lips to brush against her skin and they both backed up, laughing uncomfortably. "Are you ready to go?"

She nodded. "Yeah, let's go."

They sat a comfortable distance away from each other in the taxi as they rode to the restaurant Gio had made reservations at. She started to say, "So, your daughter…"

"Annie."

She looked over at him, saying, "Annie. What grade is she in?"

"First," he said, grinning with fatherly pride over the small talk. "She started reading when she was four. I think she learned from helping me design menus."

"She sounds like a special girl."

His eyes shown happily. She couldn't see it in the dark cab, but she could hear it in his voice. "She really is," he said. "Annie is spunky and so smart. I've never met a prettier little girl." He wanted to tell her that he wanted her to meet his daughter, but he hesitated. He wasn't ready for that yet.

They continued the small talk until they arrived at the trendy and chic restaurant. The hostess sat them at their table in front of the large window. Betty chuckled. "Back when I first met you, I don't think either of us could have gotten reservations to this place."

He took the menu from the waitress, saying, "A lot of things have changed since then." He watched Betty nearly tip over her glass of water as she was handed her menu. "And a lot of things haven't."

She looked up at him and laughed. "No, I guess some things never do."

They looked into each other's eyes, laughing, until they fell silent and were just staring at each other. Both were remembering how the other moved that night in Betty's office, how good it felt to be touching, kissing, stroking. When their thoughts overcame them, they looked away, breathing a bit too heavy.

They didn't speak again until the waitress returned to take their orders. They ordered their food and a bottle of wine.

After a few minutes of silence, he took a drink of water and stared at the cup in his hand, saying, "So how do you like your position at _Hot Flash_? Was it everything you hoped for?"

"I'm still working on all my goals. I don't own my own magazine yet." She looked down and smiled, pleating her cotton napkin between her fingers. "But I love it. I feel like I'm exactly where I should be right now."

"That's great. I'm happy for you."

She looked at him. "What about you? How have your plans gone?"

He chuckled, glancing down. "Well, a lot of things didn't happen like I had planned, but I have a great daughter and a good business. I can't complain."

The wine came and was poured. Betty held the stem and watched the red wine swirl in her glass. Holding her breath, she asked, "So was there ever anyone…I mean was there—"

His lips curled upward slightly. "You mean have I dated someone seriously?"

She blanched. "Yes."

He drank from his wine and sighed. "I've dated," he said, shaking his head, "but I've never felt…I've never wanted anyone like I wanted…" His words drifted off and he noticed that Betty was hanging on him intently. "And you? Did anyone get close enough to steal Miss Suarez's heart?"

She rolled her eyes. "No," she said, "no. I haven't been in love since…" Her eyes flew up to meet his. They both laughed uncomfortably. "When did it become so difficult for us to have a conversation?" she asked. "I remember it being much easier before."

"A lot has happened in five years," he said. Looking into her eyes, he said with a soft smile, "A lot has happened in the last week, too."

Blushing, she said, "I still feel embarrassed about that."

His face became serious and he reached over to put his hand on hers. "There's no reason to feel embarrassed about what we did, Betty. We probably wouldn't have done that five years ago, but I don't regret it now."

Feeling encouraged by his words, she let out a breath. "Neither do I."

He saw that there food was coming, so he clapped his hands and said, "Good. Let's eat!"

They finished their dinner while discussing business, family, and the past and present. After dinner, they decided to walk around Manhattan until it was too cold. They caught a cab and Gio walked Betty back to her apartment.

"I had a nice time tonight," he said.

She smiled. "So did I. Thank you."

He kissed her on the cheek. "Does this mean that I'll see you again?"

She looked down at his hand holding hers. It felt warm. Firm yet soft. His hand made her feel safe, feminine. The way his thumb ran over her wrist made her feel wanted. Looking into his dark eyes, she said, "Maybe the night doesn't have to end just yet."

His eyebrow rose. "Really?"

Tilting her head to the side, she said, "We have a lot of lost time to make up for. And I'd kind of like to prove that when we're together, we can be a little more…"

"Gentle?" he said with a quiet laugh.

Chuckling, she said, "Yes, I suppose that's it."

He threw his head back cockily. "I think you just want to see me naked this time."

She hit him in the stomach. "That's not—"

He reached out and cupped her cheek. "I know that I want to see _you_."

She sucked in air and closed her eyes, heat building in her stomach and growing to her chest. Lifting herself up on her toes, she kissed him softly on the lips. He wrapped his arm around her back, pulling her closer. Sifting his hand through her hair, he slipped his tongue in her mouth. They held each other like this for several moments until she pulled away long enough to say, "Please come in."

"Okay," he said thickly.

She turned around to unlock her front door. Standing behind her, he put his hands on her shoulders and massaged them. Her head fell back to his chest and she said, "You keep that up, Gio, and I won't be able to get through the door."

Slipping his hand around to her stomach, he leaned in to whisper into her ear, saying, "You better get us through that door."

She found enough focus to get the key through the lock, letting them both in. They stepped farther into the front room and she set down her purse and jacket. "Would you like some more wine?"

"No, thank you." He walked up close to her and took her hand. "We never got to finish that dance."

She laughed. "There's no music."

With a raspy voice, he put his arm around her and began to sway. "We never needed music before—you and I."

Barely able to breathe, she smiled. "I never realized how romantic you are before."

He moved them around the room, saying, "You never really had a chance to notice last time."

"I'm sorry about that," she said, looking away. "I never gave us a chance, did I?"

He shook his head. "It's no one's fault, Betty. Life just happens."

Nuzzling against his chest, she said, "I'm glad we found each other again."

"Betty, I'm sorry for the way I treated you the past few weeks." He squeezed her tighter and put his cheek on her temple.

She took in the scent of his warm, musky cologne. "I'm sorry, too. I shouldn't have tried to hit you."

He played with her hair with his free hand. "No, the way I was acting, I can understand why you'd want to." He paused, then said coyly, "But if you keep holding me like you are, you can hit me anytime you want. That could be pretty hot, actually."

She jerked away, and seeing the playful expression on his face, she laughed. "We'll put it on the list."

His eyes widened. "You have a sex list for us?" he exclaimed. "Can I see it? Is there anything that involves food on it?"

"Get real, Gio!"

He twirled her and then dipped her. When she came back up, she was so close that their breath mingled. "Rest assured, B," he said, "it's just become very, very real."

Her eyes drifted to his mouth. "Come here," she said, breathily. Taking her hand, she led him to the bedroom.

He followed her in and watched her light a candle. The flowery scent floated around the room, making him feel like he was surrounded by her. Putting his hands on her hips, he said roughly, "I love how you feel."

Raising her hands to his face, her fingers raked against his stubble. "You feel good, too."

"I want to take it slow, Betty." He trailed her skin with his finger down to bottom of the V of her neckline. "I want you to know how we can be together."

"Shut up and kiss me," she said as she reached up for him, wrapping her arms around his neck and leaning her body into his. She ran her fingers through his hair and then down the back of his neck until she found the collar of his suit jacket. Slipping her hands beneath it, she helped him tug it off. She breathed heavily as he dusted kisses over her face, from her forehead, to her nose, to her cheeks and chin. She took in each sultry moment as she unbuttoned his shirt. He pulled off his shirt and she admired the way he looked in his white undershirt. He sucked in air as her fingers slid underneath the shirt. She rubbed her knuckles against his stomach until she hooked her thumbs and pulled the shirt off.

He watched her as she bent over him and kissed his chest, leaving a trail of hot, wet kisses until she found his nipple. She flicked at it, causing him to grunt. He slowly turned her so that she was facing the bed. He ran his hands up from her wrists to her shoulders, then he kissed the base of her neck. Unzipping her dress, he let it fall to their feet. He could hear her breathing was becoming shallower and he smiled with anticipation.

"Gio," she panted.

He cupped her breast with one hand as he undid her bra with the other. He gave her a love bite on her shoulder and said, "I've always wanted you, Betty. Damn, I want you so much."

She raised her hands behind her, tugging at his hair. "I want you, too."

Now that her bra was gone, he massaged her breasts, flicking at their beaded crests with his thumbs before his slid his hands down to her stomach. Her body arched against him, her bottom rubbing against the roughness of his belt buckle and fly. She could feel his erection and she moaned.

Dipping his hand beneath her black panties, black curls wrapped around his fingers as he slipped down further to find her hot and wet and ready for him. With his free hand, he pushed down her underwear delicately, kissing her hip as his head came down with his hands. She stepped out of them and was about to turn back to face him, but he said, "No, lie down."

"What?"

Rubbing her back, he said softly, "Trust me."

She laid down on her stomach across the king-sized bed. He ran his hand from her shoulder, down her back, and across the curve of her bottom. Nudging her hips up, he scooted her to that she was lying close to the edge of the bed. He still stood behind her, watching her write beneath him. He lifted up her bottom so that her knees were underneath her.

Bending down, he kissed her most feminine spot. She gasped for air and clutched at the sheets with her fingers. He tickled her skin with his tongue before he slid his tongue inside her. Cursing under her breath, her eyes rolled back in her head as she felt every stroke his tongue gave her. She reached behind her to find his hand and he took it, squeezing her gently. He took his time, moving slow, leisurely, lapping at her as if he was drinking from the last water source on earth. Finally, he took his hand from hers and found her breast crushed beneath her. He kneaded it, making similar movements to that of his tongue. Then he slid his hand down until it found that kernel of flesh that was waiting for him. As his tongue made longer, greater strokes, he circled that bead with his middle finger. He felt as her legs began to quake beside him and he waited for her to come. After the final wave washed over his mouth, he stroked the backs of her thighs with his hands until she turned over on her back.

"That's what you call gentle?" she heaved, her chest rising up and down.

He watched the motion, smiling, before he laid beside her. "Are you complaining?"

She looked over at him and reached out for his head, pulling him to her. Kissing him fully, she mimicked the movements of his tongue inside her in his mouth, tasting the efforts of their lovemaking on his lips. "No, I'm not," she said, finally letting go. "You're just always full of surprises."

"You're not boring either," he said, laughing, as he watched her unbuckle his belt and tug at his pants. Helping her take them off, he quickly grabbed a condom from his wallet. He tore the package open and was about to put it on when she stopped his hands.

"No," she said, sitting up as he stood in front of her. "I want to do it." Taking the condom from his hand, she stroked his erection in her palm, rubbing his tip with her thumb.

She was about to take him in her mouth when he hissed, "Betty, that's not a good idea."

She smiled like a proud feline at how urgent his need was for her. She slipped on the condom and grabbed his shoulders, pulling him down to her. She wrapped her legs firmly around his hips as he entered her. She was hot and throbbing. For him. Just for him. Her hands grabbed for everything they could, his back, his hair, his butt, anything to bring them closer and tighter.

His lips brushed against hers lightly as he pumped inside of her. He kissed her neck and chest, whispering almost incoherently, "You're so beautiful…I want you."

She nipped at his chin and rubbed her cheek against his stubble. Arching up to meet his every stroke, her body milked his, tightening their connection each time he entered her. Finally, his hips rubbed against hers as he sought to be as deep inside her as possible. Their legs began to shake and they could barely breathe. They came together.

They lay like that for several moments until they finally snuggled underneath her soft, comfy blankets. He extended his arm so that she would lay her head in the crook of his shoulder. Her fingers played with the dusting of chest hair as they lay peacefully, quietly together.

They fell asleep holding each other until Gio's cell phone rang. He bent down to pick up his pants on the floor. It was his mother on the line. "Mama? What is it?"

"It's Annie," she said calmly yet with a hint of urgency. "She was jumping on the bed and she broke her arm. She's at the hospital and she wants to see you. But she's okay."

"I'm on my way. Tell her that I love her." He leaped out of bed and began getting dressed.

Betty sat up, asking, "What is it?"

"Annie's in the hospital. I've got to go."

She jumped out of bed. "I"ll go with you."

He put his hand out. "No, that's not necessary. Stay here."

Picking up her dress, she said, "It would be faster to just drive this time of night instead of hailing a taxi. I'll drive you."

He tossed her bra to her. "Get your keys."

Once her underwear was back on properly underneath her dress, she ran to get her jacket and keys. They were in her car less than five minutes later. "It will be okay, Gio," she said. Neither noticed that she was holding his hand.

TBC


	10. Emergencies and Plans

I know this is a very short ending to a very long wait, but it felt like the end. It just felt right. So I hope you enjoy and have enjoyed the story. Thank you all very much to those who followed it.

Chapter 10

Gio rushed through the Emergency Room entrance and to the nurse's station. Betty hurried to keep up with him as he asked the nurse where Annie was. She led him to a small room in the ER. He took one look at his daughter's puffy, red eyes from previous tears and he grabbed her, gently hugging her to avoid her arm. "Annie, what happened?"

The girl sniffled, saying, "I tripped over a pillow and fall off the bed."

He tapped her on the head and laughed, relieved to see that she was okay. "If you'd stop jumping on the bed, this wouldn't have happened."

His mother tapped him on the head as well, saying, "If I recall, son, you have a scar on _your _elbow from breaking your arm on the bed as a child."

Annie sat up straight. "Really, Dad? Can I see it?"

Sighing, he rolled up his shirt. "I guess we'll match now, midget."

"Like you're tall," his daughter scoffed. They all laughed. Annie's eyes drifted past her father towards the short woman near the door. "I know you."

Betty flinched. Shaking her head, she said, "I'm sorry. I don't think you do."

Her brow furrowed. "Yes, I do. Dad, she's the girl in the picture in the drawer by your bed."

All of the women looked at Gio who coughed uncomfortably. He looked straight at Betty and said in a deep, raspy voice, "Yeah, she's the girl."

Betty could feel heat rising from the small of her back to the base of her neck. He knew what he was saying to Annie but he also knew what he meant. Her memories all rushed back like a flood to that night in front of her house five years ago when he had told her he wanted to be the guy. Seeing how much of a man he was, how much he loved his daughter, she wanted nothing more than to take back those five years, take back what she had told him. She wished that she had been a part of his live and that he had been in hers.

But deep down she knew it was better this way. Now they would both know that they had chosen each other. They had grown a lot in five years and they both knew exactly what they wanted from life. And now they could have it with each other. Overwhelmed, she excused herself and went out into the hall for some air.

Ten minutes later, Gio came out alone and stood close to her, asking, "Are you all right?"

"Of course I am," she said, laughing softly. "I'm not the one with a broken arm. How's Annie really doing?"

He smiled, grateful for her concern. "It was a clean break. She's in good spirits as you've seen and she should be okay. My mom and I are going to take her home. I'm sorry to leave you like this."

She shook her head. "Don't be silly. I completely understand."

He took her hand gently but firmly into his. "I had a great night."

"So did I." Her smile was warm and shown hints of their activities from hours past.

He leaned in and kissed her tenderly on the lips, slightly licking her tips so that only she knew what he was doing. "I'll give you a call tomorrow."

She nodded, then stopped him from moving by putting her hands on his hips. "Did you really keep a picture of me all this time?"

He looked down at the floor before he looked back up at her. "You're a hard woman to get over, Suarez."

She could feel the heat come back and tears stung at her eyes. "You're not that easy yourself."

He stared at their clasped hands. "I promise that I'll never let you go again."

Kissing his cheek, a tear slid from her eyes and fell onto his skin. "I promise too."

He hugged her tight, then said, "I have to go now. Thank you for coming with me."

"Of course."

"How 'bout you let Annie and I take you out for a picnic next weekend? I think it's time you two properly meet."

She squeezed his hand before she let it go. "That sounds great."

He kissed her again and said, "I will call you." He then went back into the hospital room.

She watched him emerge with his mother and daughter. She told them goodbye and watched them leave, their arms wrapped around each other. They were a family and she could be a part of it.

Feeling love swell in her heart, she knew she already was.

the end


End file.
